Virginia’s great beer is pretty much the only thing that gets me to take Metro’s blue/yellow across the river (well, beer and pho). And Galaxy Hut has several on tap this week by Virginia microbreweries that don’t distribute to the District. Here’s a quick guide to the highlights:

• Blue Mountain Double IPA – I haven’t had this yet, but Blue Mountain makes Full Nelson, a wonderful English-style IPA, so I see no reason this shouldn’t be tasty.
• St. George Fall Bock – Another one I haven’t had by a good brewery — the brewery that’s actually behind the revival of Tuppers’ Hop Pocket Ale.
• Legend Brown Ale – A big, dark, and roasty brown ale that is to Newcastle what Ray’s Hellburger a live cow is to a Big Mac.

Bonus after the jump: Virginia beer in D.C.!

Read More “What to Drink This Week–Yes, in Virginia” »

Early this summer when the weather was ripe for it, several of you joined in our plea for a local outdoor space to grab steins of German beer and enjoy brats in the open air. Temperatures are now cooling off, but it seems that our prayers will be answered soon.

Russia House co-owner Aaron McGovern is heading up a project on H Street that could help fill DC’s beer garden void. According to last month’s Capital Community News, Biergarten Haus, a 5,000-square-foot German restaurant, will occupy the two store fronts adjacent to Rock N’ Roll Hotel (where NorthEast Salon and DC Sanctuary used to be).

McGovern is planning a menu full of traditional German fare for his new restaurant, and an outdoor beer garden that we hope will satisfy the nostalgia of all those lucky enough to have been to a real Bavarian biergarten in Germany. As you can see from the Weltenburger Kloster photo above, that means long wooden tables under the shade of trees, space for plenty of people longing for some gemutlichkeit, an occasional oom-pah band, and most importantly, lots of great German beer. We’re not sure how well the location will allow McGovern to deliver on all these stipulations, but there will be twelve taps, and that’s a good start. We’ll see about the polka. More details and our outdoor drinking spot picks below.

Read More “DC Finally Getting a German Beer Garden? The Lagerheads Share their Outdoor Picks in the Meantime” »

This week marked the arrival of Athens, Ga. brewery Terrapin to the D.C. area, with launch nights at Galaxy Hut on Tuesday and Rustico on Wednesday. I missed out on Galaxy Hut, but at a packed Rustico I sipped guzzled flagship and rare brews alike, all in free swag glassware.

Terrapin is only coming as far north as NoVa, and while I lament not being able to walk around the corner for a six-pack, it also raises the exciting possibility of making a car trip to the Arlington for a case of rye beer and a drive-worthy bowl of pho. In any case, here’s last night’s drool list:
Read More “Terrapin Launch Night at Rustico” »

BEHOLD THE MARINATED ARTICHOKE

Day #2 wasn’t a very nutritional day. (”Nutritional” day? Don’t I mean “nutritious” day? Whatever.) The problem with being an adult is that…well, you’re an adult and you can eat whatever you want. I mean, I like kale and cucumbers and quinoa and black beans and grapefruit and hummus and a whole host of healthy things, but I’d really rather just eat cookies and soy ice cream and baklava and Peanut Chews and, whenever possible, artichokes in any form. And, because I own my own home and dog, society thinks that’s okay! Good deal.

Monday, June 1, 2009
10:00 a.m. Vanilla tea and a curious artichoke toast.
Artichoke toast is a dish of my own invention. Toast + avocado + nutritional yeast + quartered and marinated artichoke hearts = why not? Meanwhile, my housemate inherited some vanilla tea from her brother when he joined the Peace Corps and moved to Ghana (or was it Botswana?), and somebody has to drink it.
5:00 p.m. – 5:17 p.m. Apple and peanut butter, an unspecified number of Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips, 7-10 Whole Foods Rosemary Crostini, a bowl of Kashi Golden Crunch w/ soy milk, and 10 oz. of Canada Dry ginger ale.
When you forget to eat for seven hours and find yourself in the kitchen with no real desire to “cook” a “meal,” unusual things happen. Also, if anyone out there is eyeing a bag of Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips, I heartily encourage you to put that bag down. I’ve brushed my teeth three times, smoked, showered, chewed gum, and slept since consuming them, and I can still taste them. It’s like someone coated my tongue, throat, and sinuses with a garlic/Old Bay paste. Is that what’s in these things? Old Bay? Someone with a functioning palate should let me know.
9:17 p.m. Whole Foods vegan blueberry muffin, 5 Whole Foods vegan Duplex Cookies, 16 oz. of Mango Sweet Leaf Green Tea, and 2 pieces of Spry sugarfree peppermint gum.
Early evening Whole Foods sugar binge while waiting for a show to start at the Galaxy Hut. I tried to buy something nutritious, but everything nutritious was too damned expensive (and too boring to eat). Also, I’m not typically a gumchewer – and certainly wouldn’t be caught dead under normal circumstances buying a sugarfree yuppie gum at Whole Foods – but goddamn! The taste of those Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips does linger.
11:04 p.m. 1 Parliament cigarette.
Cigarettes are food too, especially Parliaments with stylish recessed filters bummed from music critics at the Galaxy Hut. What is this, 1997? At least it wasn’t mentholated.
1:32 a.m. 5-10 additional Whole Foods vegan Duplex Cookies.
No day is complete without 5-15 cookies, and the more cookies you eat close to bedtime, the sweeter your dreams.